


Be still and know I am

by leigh57



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-31
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-17 17:51:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1396978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leigh57/pseuds/leigh57
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She's done enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Be still and know I am

**Author's Note:**

> This is just the tiniest little ficlet I wrote last night in prep for the TWD finale. I'm putting it up here in case anybody needs a couple hundred words of h/c to ease the pain of no Carol in the finale. The title is taken from "Be Still" by The Fray.

At first it was light, flashing colored circles, moving and swirling in the blackness.

After a beat, assault of sound. Voices. Shouting. Rush of blood in her ears and way-too-rapid slam of her heart, pulsing that went to the tips of her fingers.

Then pain.

Overwhelming.

Everywhere.

She tried to focus, figure out what hurt. Her head, knives behind her eyes that might shatter through at any second. Her right leg, burning like someone had held cigarettes to her skin (she remembered). Breathing was the worst though, shockwaves of agony with each small lift of her chest. 

Her shoulder. Something was wrong with her shoulder.

She tried to swallow, to force her eyes open. Failed at both.

But as consciousness slowly crept back over her, the pain increasing with each step closer to full awareness, she realized that someone was holding her.

Warm strong arm behind her neck, rough soft hand over her forehead and into her sweat-soaked hair.

This time, when she tried to open her eyes, it worked.

And they looked right into Daryl’s.

The gasp she sucked in exploded through her shoulder so fiercely that she let out a sob, instantly grinding her teeth shut to make herself stop.

Daryl’s face was covered in bruises, left cheek swollen, blood dripping down his temple toward his ear.

She wanted to ask him everything, all in a tenth of a second, but all at once memory jolted through her system and she choked out, “Judith. What-“

"She’s fine. Rick’s got her. She’s fine. Just don’t-" His face went white beneath the bruises and the hand in her hair shook. "Bullet went through your shoulder. Glenn went t’find some disinfectant. Jus’ relax. Don’t try to talk."

"But I need-" Her voice didn’t make it above a horrible croaky whisper, and each word throbbed out through all the places that hurt.

"Y’don’t need to do nothin’!” Daryl’s last syllable cracked off, dry and brittle. He swallowed and smoothed his hand over her forehead again, even more gently this time, cracks and callouses everywhere, yet still somehow more softness than she had any idea how to handle. “You’re not doing a thing for anyone else.” He paused. “Please. Will you jus’ rest and wait. With me?”

She took another tiny breath (the shallow ones hurt less), eyes never leaving his. After a second, she nodded. “Promise me she’s okay.”

"I promise." His arm drew her closer, barely, enough to make her warmer, to let her feel the slam of his heart against her ear. "Shut your eyes. I’m here."

She looked at him for another few seconds, one more moment of reassurance that he was real. Then she smiled and did as he asked, leaning her head even closer to his chest.


End file.
